Purpose of Living
by inZane23
Summary: A story of a young boy named Natsu who wanted to know his purpose of living as he fight off between his worst mistake and best decision.


**Summary:** _A story of a young boy named Natsu who wanted to know his purpose of living as he fight off between his worst mistake and best decision._

* * *

 _ ***Chapter 1***_

 _ **( A Business )**_

 **Year X791**

Under the light of the moon, two pairs of eyes met.

Two members of the same guild, glaring at one other like they don't know each other, the looks that they gave each other can't be compared to a friendly one nor in a rivalry one. One had the eyes of fury, anger, and betrayal and the other of regret, hesitation, and hurt. Surely you'll say they aren't friends nor they are a stranger, they are what we can call more than friends living under one roof, a place they call home, Fairy Tail.

Two enemies, wait, how can they be enemies if the girl is blushing furiously? Well not blushing but maybe because she's furious.

They are lovers. They... were lovers.

The man gritted his teeth, How did this happen?

He had to protect himself, her sword's blade was now pointing on his neck, and just an inch and he'll lose his head. He sighed, he knew she wouldn't listen, her intentions are already fix. She wanted him to tell her the whole truth.

"Just... what are you hiding, Natsu?" She asked him, her breathing quite heavy from shouting at him earlier so it came out as a whisper. She inhaled, "Just what?!" She shouted.

"Something... something that you shouldn't know... _yet_." He said, the last part barely audible then he grabbed her sword with his now flaming hands. "You promised... but I... I'm afraid." He said with shaky voice, he closed his eyes flashing the memory of their promise.

 _"Will you still trust me, when you know the whole... real me?" He asked her._

 _"Y-yes." She answered with a nod._

 _"Promise me... please."_

 _"I promise."_

"Of what… what are you afraid of?" She asked him.

"I'm... I'm afraid of you breaking it." He started and she frowned. "And... I'm afraid of losing you... too," He whispered, his head low. "Erza." She gritted her teeth; she could see his hand shaking because her hand holding the sword is also shaking, even with flames to protect his hand, her sword still made his hand bleed.

"How… how can I love you if you won't let me?" She mumbled and he looked up, "Natsu, was I loving a lie, was I loving no one, or was I loving… _a whole different person_?" She whispered the last part and he could hear it perfectly.

Natsu scoffed, _A whole different person._ He thought, "You weren't, really. I wasn't like this, I was never like this. I used to know what to do but now I don't know what to do." He said, a small smile started to appear on his face, she frowned at him.

 _Why are you so happy then?_ She thought, as if he heard her question he continued.

"I'm really happy that they gave it to me, I'm really happy that I have accepted it... because of it, I met you guys." He whispered, from an inch far the sword was now closer to his neck, just half an inch and he'll lose his head. Before he could continue his sentence, she stopped him by asking something.

"What do you mean 'gave it to me', Natsu?" Erza asked, her confusion and the need of answers in her voice, her trust on him kept on wavering. Her eyes are still on him, glaring, no, staring at him intently.

"I love you, Erza. Remember that." He said, tugging the sword forward to his direction. "I don't mind if you don't anymore." He whispered in her ears, her eyes wide open seeing as her sword went to the side of his abdomen. "Just please, don't let your trust in me go." He said as he gritted his teeth in pain and the flames in his hand disappeared.

 _Good, she didn't notice it._ He thought.

"W-why did you do that?" She asked him, his ears perked up and he sniffed the air and she noticed his troubled expression. No, it was pain.

She looked at him and she saw the arrow on the back of his right shoulder. He actually shielded her from the arrow that was going straight at her.

"When I say run, run…" He whispered in her ears, the blood in his hand sliding down from the blade to the handle and Erza could feel his blood, and she took a glance at his now bleeding shoulder and the arrow sticking out.

"My, my, you've gone soft." A man said, he was wearing a cloak and his face is covered with his cloak's hood. He continued to walk till he is a few meters near them.

"Run, please." He whispered in her ears, pushing her behind his back and turned his back on her, Natsu faced the man; his hands were covered in flames.

"So… Natsu, a little birdie told me you've been enjoying your stay, might I remind you about your mission." The man growled, the shadow of his hood covering his face but under the shadow was his eyes are, glowing red.

 _Mission_ _…_ Erza thought, glaring at the man in front of Natsu.

"You don't need to, Vlad." He said, glaring at the man named Vlad.

"Oh… you sure I don't need to?" He asked, scoffing at Natsu's words. "Protecting her…" He started, pointing at Erza, "And going to fight against me, your ally?" He asked, pointing to himself.

"Erza. Leave." Natsu ordered, but it sounded more like he's begging.

"Oho, what do you think _he'll_ say about this, Natsu?" He smirked.

"That's if… you'll get out of here," Natsu started, he was glaring at Vlad intently, his intentions fixed on wiping his existence. "Alive." He whispered as he ran in front of Vlad at the speed of lightning.

"Using the lightning dork's magic against me won't work." Red said, jumping away from Natsu. "As long as you don't know how to use the Dragon force or Drive, I would be safe." He continued, "And hey, I'm not that stupid to face you alone." He grinned as another man joined the fray.

Natsu's eyes widened, "Old man." He whispered. "How…?"

"I wonder what will happen if you'll lose your purpose of living, Natsu." The said Boss threatened Natsu, but before anything could happen, a bang was heard behind Natsu.

"I won't let any of you take _it_ away from him." Erza said, her hand up in the air holding a flare gun, and smoke was also coming right out of it. Natsu knew what it was, it meant trouble or one's distress and he knew his other guild mates would be there soon. They started using or equipping flare guns with themselves for emergencies; it only started after the Guild War between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail ended.

"Tch. Let's retreat." The Boss ordered Vlad, who was looking up in the sky, observing the red Fairy Tail insignia above; soon they disappeared in the dark.

"Natsu…" Erza started, her hand soon fell to her side and light surrounded the flare gun and it disappeared.

"Why didn't you just listen to me, Erza?!" Natsu shouted at her, now facing her. He was now holding both sides of her shoulder. "Why?!" He repeated, shaking her a bit. Both of his hands soon fell to his hides, he was shaking a bit. "Why…?" He whispered.

"…" Erza looked at him, she got nothing to say, she knew nothing but why did she joined in his business. That's right, because they are planning to take his purpose of living.

"It's not over yet… They'll be back." He whispered to himself and she heard him perfectly, he grabbed the arrow and breaks it short.

"Natsu… who are they?" She asked him.

"They-" Before he could tell her, a voice, a too annoying voice for him cut his explanation off.

"What was that, Erza and… Flame-brain?" The voice called out as he stopped in front of them, his black hair messy and sweat was sliding his face. He looked at Natsu's bleeding shoulder and raised an eyebrow at the two, waiting for an answer.

"It's none of your business, Gray." Natsu said coldly, fear and anger still evident in his eyes even he was trying to show nothing. He walked away from the two, not forgetting on bumping Gray's shoulder and glancing at the blue-haired mage at his side and the blonde-haired celestial mage standing behind the two.

"What's his problem?" Gray asked Erza, but she didn't pay attention to his question, her eyes were still following his retreating figure. She didn't tell a thing to anyone of them about what transpired between the two of them, because she too, had no idea what happened.

"I'm sorry about him, Gray, Juvia, and Lucy." Erza said, "It's… complicated." She mumbled. "I suggest you guys look out and watch your backs." She said and left the three mages standing there.

"This must be serious if the two of them are like that." Gray said, and the two other mages nodded in agreement.

"This is… surprising." Lucy started, catching the two's attention. "She usually have information of what's going on but this…" She said, thinking for a moment, "is different." She mumbled the last part.

"Juvia agrees with love rival." Juvia said.

"How many times do I have to tell you… I am-" Lucy's voice weren't heard by the two; Juvia was busy watching Gray strip while Gray, was deep in thought.

 _Just what happened? Tch. They better fix this before the Grand Magic Games begins._

 **X777**

"Hey Boss!" A man in his twenties called out and the man who he called boss, looked at him with a bored expression, he was gripping a boy's scarf and together with the scarf he was lifting a boy.

 _This better be good._ The boss thought.

The man pointed at the boy with his free hand; "I found pinki-" His voice was soon cut off with a kick to the shin, causing him to let the boy go and dropping him on the process.

The boy was dropped but before he met the ground, he used the man as a wall and hit him with his fit causing him to flip back and land on his feet, his hands covered in flames and he was in a fighting position. "Don't call me pinkie!" He shouted and this caught the boss' attention.

"You… brat!" The man shouted and was about to attack the boy with a punch, but before he could attack the boy, the boss stand between them, his back facing the man. "Boss…?"

"What's your name, kid?" The boss asked, ignoring the confused look of the man behind him.

"Natsu… Natsu Dragneel." The boy said, he looked at the boss and the man behind him, seeing that his life will not be threatened, the flames in his hands disappeared. "What about you, Old man?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

"Jack Ronin." The boss said and the man behind him, furrowed his brows, he was thinking, he was confused, but he decided to shrug it off or it'll be the reason of his death.

"So… Old man, where am I?" Natsu asked, looking around causing the man to chuckle at the way he called his boss.

"You are in my _organization._ " Jack said, looking at Natsu.

"Cool, is there food?" He asked.

"There is if you work." He said and he could feel the look Natsu gave him.

"Can I join?" He asked again.

"Well… there are terms…" He dragged; he was trying to think if he should or would let a kid join his organization. "Rules… you need to follow and not break." He said, looking at the young boy's gaze.

"Could I get money to buy food?" Natsu asked, his eyes hoping for him to say yes.

"Yes." Jack said, confusion was mixed in his features.

"Then I would like to join." He said.

Jack took a glance at the man behind him and they exchanged looks of confusion and little bit of curiosity, a kid in their organization; they might become the laughing stock.

"Oh well…" Jack started with a shrug, but if this kid is something more unexpected like what he did to the man earlier, then they would gain a much better reputation. "One of the rules is for you to swear your whole loyalty to us." He said.

"Just that? Deal!" Natsu roared, his grin never leaving his face.

"I suggest for you not to break it though." Jack said and Natsu tilted his head to the side with his eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer. "You don't want to know." He sighed as he started to walk, he glanced at Natsu and gestured him to follow, which he obeyed.

"So... where are we going?" Natsu asked, he looked back at the man but he shook his head at him, it's not his but just the two of them, it's their business.

"Somewhere, I'd like to see which class you belong." He said.

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked him.

"You'll know it later." He said with a smile. "So... how did you met Ryan?" He asked.

"The man earlier? I was wandering around the forest and sooner or later before I even realized it, I already slept." He shrugged.

"Middle of the woods?"

"Yup, Igneel left me, so as I wander around... I can't help but think, for whom is this life for or what is my purpose of living?" Natsu said with a frown, Jack looked at him, for such a young boy he couldn't help but admire him a bit for thinking that deeply.

"Then... live and look for that purpose." He said with a smile, lifting the boy's mood.


End file.
